By the Emerald River westlands, nested within the southern regions of the Blossom Mountains, the stench of death fills the air within a dimly lit cave. A tall man with long black hair, mixed with streaks of white, ascends the stairs towards the platform at the center of the cave. With each step, his hair sways side to side, revealing the wrinkles and scars on his otherwise handsome face. His melancholic eyes remain unflinching as they reflect the crimson streaks of blood flying across the air before him.
“G-grandmaster Ren! W-w-wait! P-lease s-sp-spare me!” A lone man, drenched from head to toes in the blood of those who fell before him, begs for mercy as he scuttles up the stairs and away from the menacing figure. “P-p-please!!! I’ll t-t-t-tell you ever-every-e-everything you w-want t-t-to know!”
“Your leader-” Grandmaster Ren’s solemn voice fills the cave. He pauses upon reaching the top of the stairs, glancing over at the pool at the center of the platform. “Where is she?”
“S-she- Lady Blood R-Rain isn’t h-h-here!” The lone man soils himself at the sight of blood flying off Grandmaster Ren’s blade. “She’s in N-N-New Hope Ci-City! P-ple-please! T-that’s all I kn-k-know!”
Grandmaster Ren’s absent gaze trails from the pool of blood back towards the lone survivor. His eyes, although blank, seem to piece through the groveling man.
“Then you’ve outlived your purpose.” Grandmaster Ren extends his blade towards the side, twisting his wrist so that the edge lines up with the man’s neck. “I’ll send her to join you soon enough.”
Following a soundless swing, Grandmaster Ren sheaths his blade and turns around. Just as he begins his descent, a slight tremor causes him to whip his head back towards the pool of blood. His hand slowly wraps around the hand of his blade as the fire pits surrounding the pool suddenly ignite one by one. He squints, observing the crimson liquid bubble as if it were being boiled.
“JINGANG!!!” Lady Blood Rain’s crimson figure emerges from the pool, screaming shrilly towards the ceiling as if she was staring at her mortal enemy. “THIS ISN’T OVER!!!”
“It is now.”
The unexpected interruption causes her heartbeat to pause, wiping the crazed expression from her face. Her eyes grow wide, slowly drifting towards the direction of the voice.
“R-Ren Chunjian…” Her voice trails off as the blossom swordsman lowers his stance.
“Final Stance: Second Strike…” Grandmaster Ren digs his toes into the stone steps and lifts his blade behind him. “Huā Zhuì Huǐ Tǔ” (Translation: Flowers crash to destroy the earth)
Completely exhausted, Lady Blood Rain watches helplessly as Grandmaster Ren blurs towards her. Explosions fill the air as his steps leave behind small craters, sending dust and debris flying into the air behind him. After the ninth explosion, a wave of petals fill the air, trailing behind the path of Grandmaster Ren’s descending blade.
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“B-b-but I am…” Lady Blood Rain mutters as the sea of petals turns her world pink. “...etern-”
Grandmaster Ren sheaths his blade, watching emotionlessly as the petals tear the platform apart. The violent rumbling sends dust and debris flying everywhere, dimming the crashing tempest before him. He sighs as he turns away. Before stepping into the corridor from where he entered, he sends his senses out once more to confirm that everyone had evacuated. Sensing nobody within the complex cave system, he steps into the corridor.
As he walks, a single tear escapes the corner of his eye, rolling down his cheek. He lifts his sleeve, wiping the teardrop away as he makes his way through the corridor. Upon seeing the stars peek into the dark passageway, he pauses for a moment to collect himself.
The image of a woman–skin flawless like jade and eyes as clear as the sky–flashes across his mind. To her right, an equally beautiful young woman, bearing uncanny similarities to the woman beside her, smiles with crescent eyes. To her left, a reliable young man with short hair greets him with cupped hands.
Apologies, my love. With this, you can all rest peacefully.
Outside, a group of women huddle together beneath the starry sky. Their body trembles as the brisk breeze meanders through the mountains, crashing against their barren skin. A sudden tremor causes them to flinch and clench their eyes shut, hugging each other tightly for comfort.
“Apologies, ladies of Qin and Chu.” A tall man with bright eyes emerges from the dark corridor. As he steps out, an unburdened smile sweeps across his face for the first time in many years. “Let’s get everyone home.”
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On the other corner of the grand continent, a man steps out of a dark crevice, turning around to help the people behind him exit. One by one, the women step out beneath the hazy night sky. Their bare feet curl up upon touching cold soil and grass, a sensation that they hadn’t felt for a while. They huddle together, clenching tightly onto the bloodied black robes.
Their hearts shiver as they gaze at the towering figure before them. Though they’re grateful towards him for saving them, they couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of his crimson fist, still dripping with the blood of his enemies. After helping the last woman exit the crevice, he takes a deep breath before turning to face them.
Although his lips show a smile, his eyes reveal his disappointment- the disappointment of not finding what he was looking for within the cave. The women fall flat onto the ground at the sight of his bloodstained face. Hearing their racing hearts, he realizes that it’s not his appearance, but rather his tumultuous aura that’s scaring them.
He turns away and takes another deep breath, holding it as he tries to calm the rage in his heart. He exhales as he lifts his fist to his waist, holding it before him as he unravels the crimson cloth. Upon removing one, he repeats, taking another deep breath and exhaling as he unravels the other.
Looking at the crimson bandages before him, he sighs before letting them go. As they drop to the ground, he turns back towards the women.
“My name is Liu Fanggang.” He says as he steps towards the young girl quietly sobbing before him. “But you can all call me grandpa Liu.”
Upon reaching her, he bends his knees and reaches into his robe, pulling out a pink ribbon. He gently lifts her disheveled hair from her eyes, holding it together behind her head.
“A gift from the young princess of Qi.” He says softly as he ties the ribbon around her hair. Upon securing the ribbon into a bow, he lowers his hand to lift the young girl’s chin. “A reminder that the sun will always rise for us. Proof that a new day will always wash away the past, so long as you persevere through the night... A symbol of strength, befitting of a courageous girl like you.”